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Topic: Correct way to play harmonics? |
Bob Wood
From:
Madera, California, USA
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Posted 7 Feb 2004 11:56 pm |
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I was just wondering how many ways there are to play harmonics? I generally use my thumb, and the bottom-side of my little pinky with my right hand. For example, if I'm playing an open "A" on the fifth fret, I pick the string with my thumb pick on the twelfth fret, and just barely touch the string that I am picking with the back of my pinky finger. Did that make sense? I know that I'm limited by playing them this way. I have heard other players playing more than one string at a time, and with the method that I just described, I can only play one string at a time!
Bob |
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Peter
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Bob Wood
From:
Madera, California, USA
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Posted 8 Feb 2004 9:24 am
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Wow! Sounds complicated, but I'm making a copy of the thread to take to the studio with me today, and see if I can acheive any results. Anymore ideas out there?
Bob |
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C Dixon
From:
Duluth, GA USA
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Posted 8 Feb 2004 9:27 am
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Palm harmonics
Finger harmonics using the thumb pick and ring finger tip of the right hand.
Fingernail harmomics using the thumb pick and pinky fingernail.
Knuckle harmonics using the thumb pick and one of the bent over right fingers.
Left hand pinky finger harmonics, similar to palm harmonics, except it uses the entire side of the pinky finger for strummed harmonics at the open tuning harmonic frets. Some Hawaiian players and JB use this one often. Jerry uses it entirely on one whole song.
Left hand index finger tip harmonics; like BE does when tuning his guitar. He also sometimes uses two finger tips (index and pinky) on his left hand while still holding the bar to get a very widely spaced harmonic interval while playing. He picks the same two strings with his right fingers. I have NEVER seen any one but Buddy do this one.
Jerry Byrd accidently hit on a way to get a picked string and a harmonicked string simultaneously; while recording La Golendrina on his "Hi Fi Guitar" Album. I thought all these years, he used overdubbing to get them. I recently discovered he was using this technique instead. It is a beautiful sound as ONLY Jerry could do.
Note: long before this I saw my teacher do something similar but Jerry's is different. Her's used thumb and ring finger tip harmonics in a sweeping motion where the bottom note is harmonicked and the top note is picked with no harmonic.
Jerry's used palm harmonics on EITHER the bottom or top string and picked the opposite string with just the tip of his finger pick picking backwards. I imagine very difficult to achieve. But then what did JB EVER do that was simple?
IMO:
The master of palm harmonics is Jerry Byrd.
The master of fingernail harmonics is Buddy Emmons.
carl |
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Bob Wood
From:
Madera, California, USA
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Posted 8 Feb 2004 10:03 am
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Thank you Carl. I can see that I have lots of practicing and studing to do!
Bob |
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Franklin
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Posted 8 Feb 2004 1:58 pm
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| In addition to Carl's excellent post, there is also pick to pick harmonics. Thumb pick to finger pick instead of the pinky at the harmonic position....I use this for distortion harmonics. I stole it from rock guitarists...Paul |
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Bob Wood
From:
Madera, California, USA
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Posted 8 Feb 2004 6:37 pm
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Paul,
Would that be index fingerpick in front of the thumbpick? I use to do that on guitar myself, but it never dawned on me that it could be done on Pedal Steel? In fact, I think I tried it a couble of times without any luck. Maybe I just didn't try it enough. By the way, tell your Dad, I said hi, and thanks for doing such a great job on restoring my Franklin.
Bob |
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Nicholas Dedring
From:
Beacon, New York, USA
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Posted 9 Feb 2004 10:53 am
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You can get harmonics from the thumbpick or fingerpick. The fingerpick can be above or below the thumbpick, it's a question of what you can get used to.
Sounds noticeably different from the bare fingertip blocking the note... and different as well from the palm, or the knuckle or what have you. |
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Gene Jones
From:
Oklahoma City, OK USA, (deceased)
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Posted 9 Feb 2004 11:54 am
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.....my problem with "pick harmonics" is that they usually make an unintended appearance when I am not trying to play harmonics! 
www.genejones.com |
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Loren Morehouse
From:
Meadowlands, MN USA
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Posted 10 Feb 2004 8:35 am
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| I could never chime worth a crap, something I have to work on. Loren. |
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Ray Minich
From:
Bradford, Pa. Frozen Tundra
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Posted 10 Feb 2004 2:51 pm
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| 40 years and mine all happen by accident. When I do hit one deliberately it's a bit o' heaven. Pinky finger knucle joint never does cooperate. |
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Michael Brebes
From:
Northridge CA
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Posted 11 Feb 2004 8:01 am
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| Since I play without picks and come from a classical guitar background, I do single string harmonics by using my index finger for the harmonic and either my thumb or third finger for plucking the string. |
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Mike Perlowin
From:
Los Angeles CA
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Posted 11 Feb 2004 9:18 am
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I don't think there is a "correct" way to play ANYTHING. If what you are doing produces the desired results, it's correct for you, regardless of what others may or may not do.
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Michael Johnstone
From:
Sylmar,Ca. USA
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Posted 11 Feb 2004 11:07 am
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| Here's another way: If you wear your thumbpick pretty far back on your thumb like I do (and not many do) you can tip your thumb down so that the tip of your thumb touches the string at the harmonic point and the tip of the thumbpick picks the string at a point about 3/4" behind that. It takes just as much practice as any other way and your thumbnail needs to be trimmed short but what I like about it is that unlike palm and knuckle harmonics,I can see exactly what I'm doing - everything's right up front.And it doesn't require hand contortions like when you put your ring finger out front of your thumbpick etc. I showed it to Jeff Newman once and he laughed in my face and told me to go back to California but it works for me. -MJ- |
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Ray Minich
From:
Bradford, Pa. Frozen Tundra
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Posted 11 Feb 2004 11:28 am
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| Jeff has been known to change his mind... |
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C Dixon
From:
Duluth, GA USA
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Posted 11 Feb 2004 12:11 pm
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| . [This message was edited by C Dixon on 11 February 2004 at 12:12 PM.] |
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c c johnson
From:
killeen,tx usa * R.I.P.
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Posted 11 Feb 2004 12:15 pm
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| The correct way is to make them clear all the time. |
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Bob Wood
From:
Madera, California, USA
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Posted 11 Feb 2004 4:16 pm
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Wow! I had no idea that there were so many ways to play harmonics, and yes, there is really no "correct" ways to play them. I guess whatever way you play them is the correct way for each person, as different as they may be, and as long as it gets the job done. Even if it happens to be by "accident". And, what does Jeff N. know, right? Ha ha! Just kidding Jeff.
Bob |
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Whip Lashaway
From:
Monterey, Tenn, USA
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Posted 12 Feb 2004 7:19 pm
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Learn to make them several different ways. They all have a different flavor. Whip
------------------
Whip Lashaway
Sierra E9/B6 12 string
Sierra E9/B6 14 string
78' Emmons D10 P/P
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Bob Wood
From:
Madera, California, USA
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Posted 14 Feb 2004 11:33 pm
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Ray,
Funny thing happened to me on the way to playing perfect. I was playing along to a CD tonight, when I attemped to play some harmonics using my normal mode as I described in my first post. I "accidently" hit three strings in a triad, and it sounded really good. Never in my life, even if I tried, would it ever come out sounding right. I started doing it again, over, and over. "Holy Moly" I thought to myself. Anyways, goes to show you that even the seemingly impossible things can be acheived if tried. Even if it is by "accident"!
Bob |
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